Justice is blind
by ninjawriter2
Summary: Being blind stinks, especially when your being experimented of by a bunch of government "scientists". But it's okay, cause Danny's about to get a fresh start. With a very unique group of heros. Please review, rated T for fighting. (THERE IS CURRENTLY A CHAPTER MISSING FROM HERE BECAUSE I MESSED UP WHILE CLEARING OUT AUTHORS NOTES. I'M WORKING TO FIX IT, TRY TO ENJOY ANYAY.)
1. Chapter 1

Had the idea a while ago, finally did it. Please review. I do not own anything but my brain.

Chapter 1: Oops  
He had done it. After weeks and weeks of thinking and observing everything, he had found a way to escape. Danny resisted the urge to smile. He knew if he showed he was happy about something, the GIW would stop at nothing to take that something away. Just like they took away his family, his friends, and most recently, his sight.  
He also knew if he was going to escape, it had to be soon. He was getting weaker all the time, and he would soon be too weak to fight. And he needed to fight, needed to keep defying these sick monsters. So it had to be soon. He now knew how he was going to escape, he just needed to know when.  
Danny felt the usually still air move as the door opened. The door squeaked so quietly, he knew he was probably the only one who could hear it. He remained still. No need to imply that he was capable of thoughts. He listened as they walked in-only two, from the sound of it.  
"Hey freak." one of them said, a sneer evident in his voice. Danny pretended to jump, keeping up the facade that he hadn't heard them come in.  
"How's the vision?" the other said, with equal snark.  
"Great." He responded, still not looking up.  
"Oh really?"  
"Yeah, now I only smell you." He turned his face upward, and was pleased by the shocked gasp that he heard. He knew his sightless eyes gave agents the willies-why else would they make him constantly wear bandages? Other than the fact that his eyes occasionally bled, of course. The kick came swiftly, catching him in the chest. "You probably didn't see that either!" Although the words were angry, Danny sensed just a touch of fear behind them.  
Without any more delay, the agents grabbed him and began leading him toward the lab he'd come to know so well. They tripped him several times on the way, and each time Danny had to force himself not to dodge there feet. The agents thought he couldn't see, and they were right. But in the months since they'd blinded him, he'd begun to hear better than ever before. Especially if he made noises and listened to the echoes. If-no, when he got out, he was fairly sure he could move without a guide.  
Before they strapped him down, one of them wrapped several layers of bandages tightly around his head, covering his eyes completely. As they walked away, he heard the other comment,"Those eyes- I swear, they give me nightmares." Danny had to exert all his mental strength not to grin. It was so much fun to horrify the agents with there own work.  
"Ah, hello there!"  
Danny stiffened. No, not him, please not him. His expression darkened.  
"Oh, I see you remember me. I hope there aren't any hard feelings about the whole blindness thing. We couldn't have you escaping."  
Ugh, it was him. "Shut up." Danny grumbled, turning his head away from the voice. Of all the agents of the GIW, Danny hated him the most. It didn't matter what torture was inflicted on him, or what experiment the GIW tried. He was always there, watching Danny like a vulture. It was the one who'd smiled as his family was murdered, the one who laughed as his eyes were burned out with blood blossoms-Agent Z.  
Z feigned surprise. "Do you really hate me so much? Oh well, I suppose I'll need to do todays experiment the hard way."  
Although he could hear annoyance creeping into Z's voice, Danny said,"Why so surprised? I've always despised you." He added,"I'm actually glad I don't have to look at your face anymore- Zerum."  
If there was one thing that set Z off, it was calling him by his hated nickname. "Still haven't learned respect, huh? I have just the thing for that."  
Zerum's footsteps moved across the room. Danny kept his head still, following his progress with his ears. His heart sank as he heard the clinking of scalpels. Of all the tortures they used, he hated the scalpels the most. They were used for the slow, agonizing tortures. They were the cause of his greatest pains, they were evil, they were-  
Stop it. He ordered himself. They're tools, nothing more. It's the men using them that are evil.  
Zerum came back over. "You see, I've been observing you the past few weeks." He twirled the scalpel. As he did, Danny focused on it, hearing the air move out of the way as it turned. "And I've realized. You don't behave the way a blind person should." Danny felt himself stiffen, but his mind was to mesmerized by the blade. He couldn't decide if his heart was frozen or beating too fast. Good grief, that scalpel sounded sharp. How did that even work!?  
"The original plan for today was another dissection. But you were so rude to me, I think I'm going to do something much worse." Danny suddenly felt Zerum's warm breath wash over his face, and he involuntarily jerked away, his head clanging painfully on the table as he did. "Maybe, cut out your tongue? Or the spine? Hmm, but them we'd have to carry you to the table."  
Danny suddenly felt a searing pain in his left cheek. He tried to jerk away, but Zerum grabbed a fistful of his hair and held him down. "Blood blossom extract. You'll be in pain before I even start cutting." Zurum jerked the scalpel, and it sliced into Danny's face. He gasped, again trying to jerk away.  
Danny's skin hissed as Zerum dragged the blade down his cheek. "Oops."  
Danny didn't know what it was, but that made him snap. That little word, said so casually, made his brain fill with nothing but rage. His normally black vision turned bloody red, and he screamed like he'd never screamed before. The most powerful Ghostly Wail he had ever released exploded outward, obliterating everything in its path. Danny stopped almost immediately, the onslaught of super loud noise nearly deafening him. But even though it only lasted a second, the Ghostly Wail sapped nearly all his energy. As what little senses he had began to fade, Danny had just enough time to think that it had been an incredibly stupid thing to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I think this is the fastest I've ever written a chapter. I guess I write better when in pain? Enjoy, and please review. I'll try and update my other stories ASAP.**

Chapter 2: If I wasn't, this would probably never work.

The first thing Danny realized when he woke up was a constant beeping sound. He groaned and sat up, feeling the jagged remains of his restraints as he stood. His ears wrung like nothing he'd ever felt, blocking out all other noise. It was slowly fading, but the noise was really starting to get on his nerves. It seemed to be getting louder and sharper by the-

Crud, it was an alarm.

Danny stumbled around, trying to find a wall, a doorway, something to try and regain a sense of where he was. He clicked his tongue a few times to try and listen for echoes, but had no luck. Eventually, his groping hands came upon a support beam. He felt around, finding strips of shredded steel and uprooted concrete everywhere. Had his wail done all this? He couldn't properly view the carnage, but his wail had seemed to have obliterated the entire room. How? Did he really have that much power inside him?

Danny was suddenly forced up against what was left of the wall. Something cold and sharp dug into his throat, and hot breath suddenly washed over his face.

"YOU LITTLE INGRATE, I'LL KILL YOU!" Zerum was beyond mad, his voice boiling with a rage Danny didn't know was possible. Zerum's voice tore at his damaged eardrums like a rusty knife, and he instinctively lashed out. Zerum flew across the room, crashing into the wall like a ragdoll. He was quick to recover, and he stood, staring at the ghost boy with hate in his eyes. He raised his weapon, growling like a dog looking for a fight.

Ordinarily, Danny could have taken Zerum. But the wail had left him drained, and his ears still refused to shed any light on his surroundings. So, he did what any sensible person would do- he ran.

"That's right!" Zerum's sneering voice echoed after him. "Run like the coward you are, freak!"

Danny ran down the hallway, trying to block out the insult. The blaring alarm sending stabs of pain into his already damaged eardrums, and his fast beating heart forced sticky bursts of blood out of the cut in his cheek. Danny wracked his brain, hoping desperately that he was remembering the right way.

Danny crashed into something, tumbling to the floor with a yell. An arm instantly wrapped around his neck in a choke hold. "I got him! I got the ghost b-"

Danny elbowed the agent in the face, forcing the man to drop him. He ran in the opposite direction, feeling his heart sink when he realized he was going to get completely lost.

-Line break-

 _Team, report for mission._

Everyone glanced at each other, slightly confused. They had gotten back yesterday from their first mission with Artemis very worn out, though no one would have admitted it. They hadn't been expecting a mission until later, especially not from a mysterious voice in their heads. Finally, Wally said,"Um, that didn't sound like M'gann."

M'gann shook her head. "It wasn't me." She suddenly jumped to her feet. "I think that was J'onn!" She got up and flew through the door. After a moment, everyone else got up and followed. They arrived in HQ within seconds, Artemis stopping Wally short with a yank on the scruff of his uniform. He glared at Artemis, shrugging off her hand with a scowl. Robin quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. They all turned toward the front to find a sight that confused them even more. J'onn, Batman, Flash and Black Canary were all looking up at the screen. They all looked worried. Batman turned, his face more grim than any of them had ever seen. The others stepped aside, showing the entire screen for the junior heroes to see.

"We have just picked up a major power surge in Washington. It's coming from a government agency known publicly as the "Guys in white". We want you to infiltrate this agency and find the source." He looked at them, his voice leaving no room for misunderstanding. "You will _not_ make contact with government officials unless _absolutely_ necessary." He leaned forward slightly, his voice deadly low. "Do I make myself _completely_ clear?"

The team looked at each other, slightly uncomfortable. They had a bad habit of getting into things they shouldn't. Kaldur stepped forward, speaking for all of them. "We understand sir."

Batman gave a silent nod, and the team headed toward the bio-ship.

-Line break-

Danny's lungs burned, his head spinning from the amount of blood he'd lost. He had known that face cuts bled a lot, but he didn't know they bled _this_ much. He fell to the floor yet again, crashing down with all his running force behind him. He lay there for a moment, wondering how he could have gotten so lost. His original plan had been to find the source of raw ectoplasm he had been sensing. Danny had sensed it over a month before, as they took him to an unfamiliar part of the complex. He had thought that if he could ingest some, he would regain enough power to escape. Of course, this was before the place was swarming with agents. At least, it had been swarming with agents a moment ago. Now it was eerily quiet. Even the obnoxious alarm had stopped.

He had gained most of his hearing back in the time since he'd begun to run around nilly willy. He slowly stood, feeling a sudden sense of foreboding. The alarms wouldn't have stopped for no reason, and he couldn't think of a reason the agents would have abandoned their cat and mouse game. He backed up until he felt a wall, then pressed his back against it. He tapped his foot on the floor, listening to make sure the hallway was empty. It was, but his nervousness only increased.

He heard something. It sounded like a fight. He could hear gunshots from ghost hunting guns, and he winced as bad memories flooded back to him. He shoved them away and listened harder, trying to picture the scene in his mind's eye. Following each gunshot was followed by a strange splatting sound, then the scream of a wounded man. Danny felt something inside him, something he had long thought was dead. He wanted to go and help, he wanted to find this threat and protect the people it was hurting. He took off running again, toward the sounds of battle.

His mind tried to tell him it was crazy, that these people had tortured and experimented on him for more than a year, but somehow none of that seemed to matter. He reached deep inside himself, trying to find the cold spark he knew was there. Danny began to worry when he didn't feel it. He hadn't 'gone ghost' by his own free will since he'd been captured, and he wasn't sure he remembered how. But at that moment, he found it. He felt the familiar cold wash over him, and he launched off the floor as he rounded the last corner.

He flew through the air as if he was suddenly on the moon, slamming into the ceiling and changing into a human. He plummeted down, but instead of hitting the floor he landed on something else. Something big, slimy, and moving.

He slid off the thing and hit the floor with a splat, the slime soaking into the rags that were his clothes. He sat up, slightly disoriented as the ooze dripped off his face. He shook his head to regain his senses, running after the thing. He went ghost more cautiously this time, trying to lift himself off the ground with his will rather than his momentum. He wobbled a bit, trying to find his center of gravity. He didn't remember flying being quite this hard.

A gooey hand suddenly grabbed him, and a hurricane blast of air hit him as the creature roared in his face. A glob of mystery goo splattered all over his face and hair. He wiped it away, gagging as some of it got in his mouth. "Say it, don't spray it!" He spat, not caring that it couldn't understand.

"Apologies, ghost child. It's been so long since we fought, I thought I'd give you a warm welcome." A high pitched voice sneered.

Danny's mouth dropped open, not even attempting to conceal his shock. "SKULKER?! How did you get so-so-"

"Big?" Even though he couldn't see it, Danny could tell he was smirking. "These government clowns had gallons of raw ectoplasm lying about for the taking! Consuming them has made me more powerful than I ever was before!" Skulker let a howl of laughter.

Danny was silent for a moment then said, "You know, you would be intimidating, except you sound like a smoker who inhaled helium." He paused, then added, "Seriously, why did your voice get higher when you got bigger?"

"WHY DID _YOU_ GET MORE SNARKY WITH TORTURE?!" Skulker roared, hurling Danny down the hall. Danny focused, trying desperately to remember how to- got it! He felt the familiar tingly sensation as he phased through the wall, but he felt immediately drained. He hadn't fought anyone in such a long time. The second he came through the wall he turned human again.

He immediately crashed into someone else, tumbling to the floor and somehow ending up on top. The person shoved him off, and he landed on his back, choking as a hand clamped around his throat. The person said something, but Danny could feel himself fading into unconsciousness. The hand abruptly released, but Danny was already out.

 **MWAHAHAHAHA! Cliffhanger! *Everyone grabs torches and pitchforks* Eeep! *Runs away***


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: *Running through a dark alley in the rain* Please go away, please go away-**

 **Readers: *Waving pitchforks, torches, and other assorted weapons* We won't hurt you, we just wanna ring your neck!**

 **Eirena Gaia** **: And then chop off your head! *Swings sword***

 **Me: Aaaaaaaaah! *Keeps running, comes to a dead end***

 **definitelynotakiller** **: Die, witch! You will pay for making us wait! *Lifts pitchfork to finish me off***

 **Me: *Desperately waves hands* WAAAAAAAIT! I have a new chapter!**

 **Readers: *Hesitates***

 **Me: Just look on the computer, you'll see it.**

 **Readers: *Glance over***

 **Me: *Ducks around the mob and takes off sprinting***

 **Cats are my World** **: She's getting away!**

 **Good Witch of Babble** **: Let her go. We have what we want. She's safe.**

 **BelieveInYourDreams4Life** **: *Grumbles* For now.**

 **Hoytti** **: *Angrily gestures at the pile of unused pitchforks and torches* What the heck am I supposed to do with these now!?**

 **popcornbubbles77** **: *Pats shoulder* There will be other times, my fellow reader.**

 _ **IMPORTANT!- IF YOU ARE A REVIEWER AND YOU WERE NOT MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION, THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU ANY LESS SIGNIFICANT THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WERE MENTIONED. THESE ARE JUST THE REVIEWERS THAT STUCK OUT IN MY MIND.**_

Danny opened his eyes. Yep, still nothing but black. Had he seriously passed out again!? _Okay,_ He thought, _no more passing out._ He listened, and was surprised to find several voices he knew arguing.

"That was about the stupidest thing you've ever done, Johnny! Thanks to you, he'll never help us!"

"Kitten, I-"

"You're a bully, Johnny Thirteen! You had no right to do that!"

"Shut up, Poindexter, no one asked you!"

Danny slowly scooted away from the arguing voices, not sure how he felt about every one of his enemies being under the same roof. Okay, maybe not every single enemy, but still quite a few.

"I don't recall anyone asking you either, Ember." Was Amorpho a friend or an enemy? He wasn't sure.

"Ignoring you now."

"You can't ignore him! His opinion is as valid as anyone's!"

"No one cares what you think, Poindexter!"

"I care what he thinks, thank you very much."

"You don't count, Amorpho!"

"Why not? I'm a ghost, just like the rest of you!"

"Can't we all be _friends?"_

" **NO!** " The shout came from everyone's collective throats, and Danny couldn't help feeling just a little bad for Klemper. Just a little.

"Wait, where's Danny?" Amorpho half yelled, and Danny could tell that everyone whipped around to look at him. He cautiously got to his feet, not sure whether to attack or run. There was an awkward moment of quiet, then Danny decide to break the silence. "So… who did I crash into?"

As if his words had broken an imaginary dam, dozens of feet raced toward him and everyone started asking questions at once.

"Phantom, we need your help! We'd been captured too, and-"

"Why do you have a bandage over your eyes? Isn't it hard to see?"

Danny tried to interject. "Actually, I'm-"

"Help us escape, dipstick, or I'll whack your sorry hide to kingdom come!"

"Will you be my _frieeeend?_ "

Danny tried again. "I-"

"Where have you been? Johnny and I have been so worried!"

Danny seriously doubted that. "Is that s-"

"How were you captured?"

"Why-"

Danny, feeling like his head was going to explode, pointed his hand toward the ceiling and fired an ectoblast. It struck the metal ceiling with a loud hiss and an echoing pop. "Everybody sit down and _SHUT UP!_ " There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, to Danny's shock and relief, he heard all of the ghosts taking seats on the floor. Even Klemper was quiet. Danny took a deep breath and massaged his temples, trying to stave off his growing headache. Finally he said, "Will one of you please explain to me what's going on?" He heard someone inhale and added, "Not Kitty."

There was a slightly disgruntled huff, then Poindexter began to talk. "We were all captured about a month ago. They've been experimenting on us since then."

Amorpho interrupted him, her voice tight with impatience. "We made an escape plan, for all of us to get out, but _someone"_ Danny heard a pause as Amorpho glared at someone. "-messed things up, and we had to improvise."

"Hey." Danny heard Ember get to her feet, as well as Amorpho. "It's not my fault my boyfriend got all power crazy!"

"Actually, it kind of is." Kitty, already miffed by Danny's brush off, didn't have any qualms about questioning Ember's credibility. Ember growled and took a step in what Danny assumed was Kitty's direction. He stepped forward, hoping he was in between the two when he said, "This won't do us any good." He turned his head in everyone's direction, then continued. "You guys want to escape. So do I. The only way that we're gonna get out of this unscathed is if we let our petty rivalry's rest for a while."

Danny heard several grumbles and a few curses, but he felt they had come to an understanding. Johnny broke the silence. "So, what's the plan?"

-Line break-

Of all the things that could have attacked them, it had to be a giant green slime ball.

Robin threw an explosive disk, temporarily knocking the creature off balance. As he reached for another, Kid Flash zoomed at the thing and punched it in the face, leaving a good sized dent. Superboy leapt forward, trying the same thing.

But the monster was ready this time. With a squelch and an angry yell that was abruptly cut off, Superboy sank into the gelatinous body.

"Fools!" An extremely high voice suddenly squealed. "I am Skulker, greatest hunter alive!"

Kid Flash looked up from wiping a bit of slime of his fist. "Seriously? That's its voice?"

The thing let out a roar and swiped at him. The gooey arm smashed Kid Flash into a wall, and he fell in a heap next to Artemis. Robin gritted his teeth. Only he and Miss Martian were left standing.

 _M'gann, we have to end this now!_

 _But how?_

 _I have an idea, but you're gonna have to trust me._

 _I trust you._

 _Okay. Rush at it._

 _Are you crazy? Look what happened to Superboy!_

 _Just trust me, okay?_

M'gann looked at the giant blob. She didn't want to, but she wasn't sure what else she could do. With a deep breath, she charged.

-Line break-

"That is literally the dumbest plan I've ever heard."

Danny threw up his hands, looking in what he hoped was Johnny's direction. "Why? It's simple, and it guarantees all of us get free!" He took a deep breath. "Let me explain it _simply._ " He adopted a thinking expression. After a moment he said, "We find the ghost portal that _you said_ they had." He moved his finger in a circle to symbolize a portal. "We-"He gestured all around him. "-go through." He made two finger people and walked them through the air. He threw up his hands again. "Then we're free! Happily ever after! Pina colada and beaches for all! It's the most basic of plans!"

Johnny's voice was only slightly perturbed when he answered. "First of all, I'm over here." Danny's face turned red as he turned a few feet to his left. "I think it's the dumbest plan because it makes too much sense."

"He has a point." Kitty commented.

"I agree." Ember said.

"It's a bit too simple for my taste." Amorpho admitted.

"I did think it would be a little more complicated." Poindexter sounded slightly guilty.

"Johnny is my _friend_ , I will _never_ disagree with him." Klemper gushed.

Danny felt like he was going to explode. " _SERIOUSLY!?_ This could be your one chance to escape, and you don't want to try because it's _too simple._ " He face palmed. "That's it, I just lost faith in humanity."

Suddenly, and giant crash came from down the hall to their left. Danny turned out of habit, his new position shedding no light on what was there. He heard several gasps and the sound of running feet as the ghosts began to run. Without knowing what they were running from, Danny followed. "What are we running from?"

"The giant flaming ball of ectoplasm that is Skulker!"

"Say what!?

"You don't know?" Danny felt Ember pick him up and fly, and he was secretly grateful. "When ectoplasm gets agitated enough, it catches fire!"

"WHAT!?"

A huge roar echoed from down the hall, and Danny felt something searing hot land on his shoulder. He desperately patted the area, trying to get the flame to go out. "Do you plan to do something about it?" Danny wanted to know.

"Ever heard the term 'sacrificial lamb'?" Danny was suddenly thrown through the air. "Traitor!" He screamed behind him, all the gratitude draining out of him as he realized she had picked him up for the sole purpose of throwing him. Danny felt the air temperature increase as he moved, and he braced himself for a world of hurt he hoped would miraculously be avoided.

 **Guest reviewers:** _ **WHAAAAAAAT!?**_

 **featherheart4248: That's it!? I just got here! I demand more!**

 **jiji-kitten: *Sighs* She's done it again.**

 **Eirena Gaia: I SHALL SMIGHT HER HEAD FROM HER SHOULDERS! *Waves sword***

 **DarkKeybladePhantomofTime: *Falls to the ground clutching chest* My heart! *Points in direction I ran* Fellow readers! Avenge me!**

 **BelieveInYourDreams4Life** **: Let the hunt resume!**

 **16ckelmen: I need a new pitchfork.**

 **Hoytti: *Sets up a stand in the blink of an eye* Get your pitch forks! Get your pitchforks here! Can't be an angry mob without your pitchforks!  
Get your torches! Get your torches here. What's an angry mob without your torches!?**

 **percab8531: *Snatches a torch and pitchfork*** _ **THIS- IS- SPARTA!**_

 ***Everyone roars and runs after me***

 **Thanks everyone for the reviews. Also, lolahusky8, I have no plans to end this story anytime soon. Again, if you were not mentioned in the above description, this does not make you any less important or appreciated than the others. *Chair smashes through my window* Well, time to go! See ya, suckers!**


	4. Chapter 4

***Slowly backing away from mob* Okay guys, lets talk about this. *Metal baseball bat swings at my head* HEY! It took me this long because I don't have my own computer, okay!? Besides, I wanted to wait for my birthday. *Mob gasps in shock* Yes, I have a birthday. It's today. So shut up and read my chapter.**

Danny tried not to think of how painful it would be to burn to death as he streaked through the air. He knew he wasn't strong enough to summon up his ghost powers, which kind of stank, because he really didn't want to die all over again.

He came to an abrupt halt, feeling searing hot fire lick his arms and body as pudgy fingers snatched him from the air. He barely had time to scream before he was suddenly surrounded by lukewarm goop. Some of it oozed into his mouth, and Danny wretched as he tried not to let it slip down his throat. Where was he? What had happened? He felt the ooz wriggling about, and the answer came to him with stunning clarity.

You've been eaten. You're inside Skulker. He had been snatched from the air and plopped into Skulker's mouth like a piece of candy.

It was more than Danny could stand. He started to struggle, trying desperately to get out of Skulker's gelatinous body. _Let me out, LET ME OUT,_ _ **LET ME OUT!**_

 _We're trying, just hang on!_

Danny almost swallowed the gunk in his mouth. What the flabott, who the junk was in his head!?

-Line break-

The team chased after the flaming blob, Robin in the lead as he threw ice disks at it.

Kid Flash zoomed up beside him. "Light the blob on fire. Yeah, that was real brilliant of you, Rob."

"You think I meant to!?" Robin snapped. He was trying desperately to think of why this was happening. Why the thing had suddenly lit on fire? Seriously, of all the things it could have done, it lit on fire!? What. The. Heck.

Miss Martian began to slow, panting as she felt the oppressive heat of the thing. Aqualad had stopped long ago, guarded by Artemis as he tried to get his strength back. "Guys, I'm not sure how much longer I can go on."

"Don't worry M'gann, we'll think of something!" Kid Flash said optimistically, swerving to the side as a jet of flame aimed at him. Robin was wracking his brain, trying to figure out what to do, when they heard a scream. Robin looked up to see that the blob had a teen in its fist. Before Robin could get a good look at him or figure out what to do, the blob popped the boy into his mouth and swallowed.

There was a chorus of strange popping as four mouths simultaneously dropped open. Robin felt sick as he watched the boy thrashing around, his shape distorted by the fire and gelatin. "M'gann, can you link us up? We need to talk to, uh, whoever that is!"

"Right!" She focused. _We're linked!_

The first thing they all heard was a horrible yelling. _Let me out, LET ME OUT,_ _ **LET ME OUT!**_

 _We're trying, just hang on!_

Robin tried not to panic. _Yeah, we'll figure something out!_

 _Who are you people? Get out of my head! Actually, don't, I appreciate the distraction._

Superboy, impatient with the lack of action, launched off the wall at the blob. Unlike the other times, he actually made contact, and the goo monster splattered everywhere.

-Line break-

Danny had no clue what was happening. One second he had been surrounded by lukewarm slime, and the next he was sitting on his stomach in open air. He desperately spat a hunk of goo out of his mouth, trying to get the slightly acidic taste off his tongue. He felt something grabbing at his leg, and plucked a struggling blob of ectoplasm off.

"Beware!" A tiny voice squeaked, and Danny rolled his unseeing eyes as he realized who it was. "I shall crush you!"

"With what?" Danny questioned, truly curious about what the tiny ghost thought he was going to do.

"Um… my superior power of will!"

Danny rolled his eyes again and tossed Skulker over his shoulder, not really caring enough to do anything else. With a sudden jolt, he remembered the voices he had heard in his head. He took off running, ignoring the cries for him to stop. He didn't know who these people were, but he preferred to keep what was in his head private, thank you very much! He turned a corner and jumped into what he hoped was a supply closet, with guns. Unfortunately, it was another hallway, and the jump only caused him to land painfully on his arm. He got up and kept running, putting as much distance as possible between him and the mysterious group of people. He assumed they were a group, there had been more than one voice. He abruptly slammed into a wall.

Danny fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Note to self, don't run into walls. He rubbed his head, realizing that his bandage had come off at some point. He laid back down, deciding it might be better to play possum than wear himself out.

A few moments later, he heard footsteps come toward him. They stopped, and Danny could tell there was more than one. Judging by the force of them, they had been running after him. He could also tell that one of them was barefoot, for whatever reason.

"Did he… run into the wall?"

"Flash! Don't be rude!"

"What? It's not like he can hear me!"

"We must decide what to do with him. He appears to be injured."

Danny really thought that was a dumb thing to say. Seriously, it was like 'oh look, he has a bleeding cut and burns, I think he might be in pain'. Stupid.

A hand touched him, and with as much speed as he could muster, leapt to his feet and put the person in a head lock. "Who are you?! Have you come to deafen me too!?"

-Line break-

"Woah, take it easy!" Kid Flash gagged out, trying to get enough air to speak coherently. Man, this kid was strong.

"Yeah, well, I tend to get high strung when people poke around in my head!" He perked up suddenly. "Quit breathing down my neck or I'll blow your friends head off."

M'gann immediately backed off. "Sorry! Please don't hurt him, let's just talk about this. I had to read your mind so we could try to figure something out!"

The kid gave her an incredulous look. M'gann shuddered involuntarily. Something about his eyes seems unsettling, but she couldn't place her finger on it. Then she realized what it was. "Your eyes!"

He blinked, then his expression became defensive. "What about them?" He growled. He inadvertently tightened his grip on

"They, well…" M'gann hesitated. She didn't want to offend.

Luckily Aqualad said it for her. "My friend, your eyes don't have a reflection. I cannot see myself in them."

The boy blinked again, then, surprisingly, he sighed in relief. "Oh good, I thought you were going to say they were oozing blood or something." He waved his free hand around, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Kid Flash was turning blue from lack of oxygen. "And, well, that would have really put you off, you know? I mean, you're the first people I've talked to in…" He suddenly frowned. Suddenly he went limp and wrapped his arms around his knees. Kid Flash sat up and gasped, trying to regain enough air to speak, but the boy beat him to it. "A year… I've been in this place for a year." He suddenly seemed extremely sad.

Robin stepped forward. "Look, I don't know what you're doing here, but we're trying to figure out what this place is. Do you think you could help us?"

The boy had started to rock himself, but he stopped at these words. He turned his eyes on them. "You don't want to know what they do here. The _things_ they create…" The boy shuddered and started to rock again.

Robin looked at the others and shrugged. Aqualad spoke next. "Maybe we do not want to know, but we were given a mission, and we will complete it." He paused, then added, "We will come back for you." The team began walking away.

"Wait!" They all turned.

The boy was on his feet, looking pale but determined. "I-" He sucked in a breath and started after them. "I'm coming with you."

 ***Mob turns and growls at me* Hey, that isn't even a cliffhanger! It's my birthday, quit complaining! *Starts walking away* And please drop a review, that would make a very nice birthday present!**


	5. Chapter 8

**Friend: *Sitting on a beach in Hawaii* Aah, finally a day to just relax and- *Phone rings, friend sighs and answers* Hello?... Hey ninja, what's up?... Ninja, I can't hear you with that machine gun in the background... Okay, better... How big is the mob?... Man, you must have done something pretty bad... You're about ot be burned at the stake!?... But they can't find any matches. You're such an idiot. *Garbled yelling comes from phone* Okay, okay, fine. You can use my fall out shelter. But if you get blood on the carpet I'll kick your sorry hide to Uranus... Yeah, yeah, glad your brother's okay... Uh huh. Yeah, see ya. *Hangs up* Why does she get herself into these situations? *Presses telaport button***

 **IN GHOST ZONE**

 **Me: Ha! He said yes! Prepare to be teleported!**

 **Other friend: Finally! I thought I was actually going to be burned at the stake!**

 **Me: He can't teleport us all the way. Hopefully there'll be a bunch of giant cats for us to ride on on the near future.**

 **Other friend: I hate you so much right now.**

 **Me: I love you to, honey wasp kitten baby!**

Danny's head felt like it had been chewed on by a giant rat. And, due to one of the GIW's stranger experiments, he could actually vouch for that fact. He tried to sit up, but felt his arms firmly strapped to something. He scowled to himself and sighed. _Isn't this situation familiar?_ He thought ruefully, blinking his eyes open. Although there was no point having them open, he felt better doing it, like he still had some vestige of control over his life. He felt the thick layers of gauze over his eyes, realizing that the bandage had been replaced.

"Ah, you're awake. Now we can start."

Danny sighed. Should have expected that. "Go die in a hole, Z."

The voice sounded pouty when it responded. "Well, that wasn't very nice." His voice grew colder. "You've given us quite a bit of trouble today, haven't you?"

Danny said nothing, mentally preparing himself for what he would have to endure.

"Breaking out, trying to sneak away, giving the other subjects their chance to escape. Even gave poor, defenseless me a nasty bump on the head."

Despite himself, Danny felt a tiny flicker of pride. The others had gotten out. Sure, they had basically thrown him under the bus to do it, but at least he knew that he had meant something. Even if it was only a distraction.

"Don't look so smug. We'l find them soon enough." He heard the dreaded clinking and his face hardened. No way. No way were the GIW going to squeeze this out of him. "As for you… well, bad boys have to be punished."

Danny clenched his teeth. This was going to be a rough day.

"It doesn't't have to be this way." Z was breathing in his face again. Danny gagged inwardly. "Just tell us what you know, and you can go back to your dark little cell like a good patient."

For a moment, Danny was tempted. It would be easy- just tell them what he heard and he could go to his cell and sleep. They probably already knew everything, and besides, he couldn't't tell them much more than they could see from the cameras. Then he refocused on Z's breathing, and he knew he couldn't't. There was no way he was going to let allow them to catch his knew friends. Whatever thing the GIW had planned for them, they didn't't deserve it. He glared ahead, jutting his chin in defiance. "Give me your best shot, you psychotic slimeball."

He heard the blade before he felt it, his scream nearly drowning out Z's next words.

"Wrong answer."

-Line break-

The team, not for the first time, was conflicted on what to do. If what Super boy said was accurate, Danny had just saved them from a bunch of psychotic government agents.

"We should contact the league." Aqua lad said, his eyes scanning the group's faces to see their reaction.

Miss Martian protested almost immediately. "We can't just leave! What about Danny?"

Flash gestured at her. "I agree with Miss M. We can't just leave the guy!"

Artemis looked peeved. "Guys, we have to be real here! This is a government facility! Government! If we start sniffing around, they'l just hide everything and act like it didn't't happen."

Flash's face reddened. "That doesn't't mean we shouldn't't try! And what do you know? You've barely been on our team for a day!"

Flash instantly regretted the remark. Artemis's face darkened like a thundercloud. "What would you know? The only thing that you ever do is go fast, and right now we need to stop and THINK! Oh that's right! Your brain couldn't't possibly process anything but Miss Martians-"

"Will you all be quiet?" Robin snapped. "I'm trying to hack a mainframe here!"

They all lapsed into silence, Flash and Artemis glaring at each other and Miss M having some rather insecure thoughts about what parts of her Flash thought about. It was lucky for everyone else that they weren't psychically linked right then.

"Got it!" Robin said triumphantly. He pulled up a hologram, and everyone crowded around to see. "I've hacked into their mainframe. We should be able to see pretty much anything we want."

Aqualad took charge. "Let's find out what this place does."

Robin nodded and tapped a few keys. After a minute of silence, he finally found what he was looking for. "We're in the facility of the 'Guys in White'." Flash sniggered at the name, but Artemis's glare made him quickly sobered him. "They specialize in the field of 'Specterology'."

Flash snorted, but before he could comment, Miss Martian asked, "What's Specterology?"

"The study of the spirits of those who have passed." Aqualad explained. "Ghosts, if you like."

Flash looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could, Robin said, "I found Danny's file."

Everyone crowded around once again as he opened the file. "Danny Fenton/Danny Phantom. Only known halfa?" Robin looked questioningly at the others, but they seemed as lost as he was. He continued, "Status: Defiant, restless, blind."

"Wait." Flash said. "He's blind?"

They all looked at each other, realization dawning on their faces. The clumsiness, the running into walls, not always looking at them when they spoke. How had they not realized it?

They continued to read in silence, each of them growing more horrified the more Robin dug. Nearly all of the experiments had video's, but luckily, Robin didn't have the nerve to watch any of them. But that didn't stop them all from cringing at the attached description of each experiment. Heat tolerance, drowning... vivisection. This kid had gone through it all. No anesthetic, no mercy. The worst thing was, a lot of experiments weren't even for research purposes. They merely existed to cause him pain.

"This is wrong." Robin whispered.

Superboy, who's face had gone nearly purple with rage, decided that enough was enough. He stomped over to the wall and looked at the others, waiting until he had their full attention before he spoke. "I don't know about you people, but I'm going after that kid."

He lifted his fist to punch the wall, but was stopped when the wall suddenly lifted. "There they are!"

A group of men in white lab coats stood on the other side of the wall, all of them carrying glowing green guns. They immediately began shooting, and the team scattered as the beams sprayed down the hallway in erratic arcs. Kid flash weaved between them and crashed into the men, taking out three. Superboy jumped in, knocking out the other two faster than they could blink.

They all looked awkwardly at the unconscious men before Kid flash said, "Well, there's no turning back now. We gonna rescue this kid?"

Artemis elbowed him. "Obviously, doofus!"

Kid flash rubbed his arm. "What happened to 'we can't get involved'?" He grumbled.

Artemis gestured toward the pile of unconscious agents. "It's a little late for that." She lifted her bow, her fingers clenching it tightly. "Besides, no one deserves to be treated that way." She glared at nothing, and for a moment, Kid flash thought he saw tears in her eyes. Then it was gone, and he figured he must have imagined it.

"I agree." Aqualad said. He looked at Robin. "Robin, can you find him?"

"On it." Robin said, tapping at his wrist hologram. Superboy growled impatiently, grinding his combat boot against the floor. Miss M had a vacant look on her face, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she thought of how lonely Danny must be.

"Got it!" Robin announced. He began running, the others following close behind. "We're close."

Artemis ran behind, her heart heavy but her mind determined. _Hang on kid._ She thought. _We're coming._

-Line break-

Danny had thought that he knew what torture was. He had been wrong. So wrong.

It wasn't the cuts themselves that were the really bad part. Not even the electric shock was the worst part. No, it was the moment after, when his body registered that the pain had stopped. It would then start to relax, only to have pain sing through his nerves from the dozens of shallow cuts on his body. It was absolutely excruciating.

"It can all stop. It can stop right now."

He knew, he knew it could stop. But it wouldn't. He couldn't break, not after this much. Not after everything. But it was so soothing- how could a man as evil as Z speak like velvet?

"It's not as if they care about you. Everyone who ever cared about your sorry hide is long dead."

 _No._ That was his immediate thought. And yet… how could he argue? All of his family and his friends had been killed. He remembered. He felt so strangely warm- what was going on? A little voice was screaming at him that something wasn't right, but why should he listen? All that little voice ever did was bring him trouble.

"Every person who ever gave two cents what happened to you is dead." Z persisted. "What have these people ever done for you? If they ever did anything to help you, it was out of pity, not caring."

He made a good point. These people he had met- he barely knew their names. Why on earth would they do anything for him if it wasn't out of pity? He was stupid to think that anyone could ever love him.

There was that little voice again. What was it trying to tell him? Oh, who gave a crap? Not him, certainly. He should really be telling Z everything he knew- it seemed logical. Who would even care if he didn't? He was just a useless halfa, a freak of nature, an impossibility that would soon be fixed. Who was he to argue with a voice so silky?

"When they find out the truth about you, they'll reject you, just like everyone else did."

Everyone? Danny scrunched his eyebrows slightly. That didn't seem right-

"Your own mother and father didn't love you."

Danny's unseeing eyes widened. Suddenly the warmth cleared away and was replaced with nothing but cold. He registered the smell of something sickly sweet, and he could think again, could remember. Their last words…

 _Danny stared at them in shock. He felt he should be running to them, getting medical attention, doing something. But all he could think of was the sight before him. His mother and father, both shackled to the wall, both with bloody holes through their stomachs. The only ones left, the only ones still breathing. Dyeing in the exact same position everyone else had._

 _His father coughed, blood splattering across his front. "Danny…"_

 _Danny stumbled over to them, his hands shaking as he fell to his knees in front of them. Their blood soaked into his jeans, but he couldn't feel, couldn't think._

" _Danny…" Jack coughed. "Danny, listen to me."_

 _Maddie lifted her head, seeming to know what her husband was going to say. "Danny… it's going to be hard for you." She coughed as well. "P-please honey, don't give up."_

" _You're s-strong son." Jack rejoined the conversation. "B-be strong. No m-matter what these g-goons say, know that…"_

" _We love you." Maddie finished._

" _G-ghost or n-not." Jack whispered. He shuddered, then went still._

" _We… love…you." Maddie breathed. She closed her eyes, shuddered and jerked, then was completely still._

 _Danny stared, his mind unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "No…" He whimpered. "Please… please no." He scooting forward and touched his mother's hand, feeling that the warmth was leaving it even as he looked. "Not again…" He whispered. Turning toward the mirror that he knew was a window, behind which they were watching him. Like they always were. "Please."_

 _But no one listened._

Danny felt a red hot fire of anger catch inside him, and he made no attempt to repress it as he remembered all too clearly what had happened that day. "How dare you." He whispered, his hands clenching into fists.

"What was that?" Z's voice was still smooth, still silky, and Danny hated him for it. He allowed this to fuel his anger, his eyes clenching shut as tears burned his eyes. Tears and something else.

"Was there something you wanted to say to me, patient?"

Danny clenched his teeth. His voice quavered as he spoke, but there was no denying the conviction in it. "It's gonna t-take more than ghost-n-nip to get me to talk, Zero."

There was an unmistakable tone of relish when Z replied, "I was hoping you'd say that."

-Line break-

After a while, they no longer needed to follow Robin's lead. They could hear exactly where he was.

Kid flash, naturally, got there first. What he saw made him sick.

Danny was lying strapped to a table, bleeding from shallow cuts all over his body. The smell of singed flesh permeated the air like a virus, bloody bandages wrapped around his head. He was gasping and huffing in obvious pain, his limbs jerking as he attempted to get out of the restraints.

Kid flash zoomed over to the control panel, franticly searching for the way to open the restraints.

Superboy came out of nowhere, smashing the control panel with the ferocity of a wounded snake. Flash looked at the smoking ruins, turning to see Danny's restraints fall open. "I… guess that works." He muttered, running over and catching Danny as he fell.

"N-n-no…" Danny moaned, squirming slightly. Artemis, to everyone's shock, was the one to reach out and take his hand. "It's okay, your safe now."

"Y-you don't understand." Danny coughed. "I-it's a-"

"A trap." They all turned, Aqualad's heart sinking as he realized what he had let his team walk into.

The man was tall and skinny as a rake, smirking at them with a smile that was too wide for his face. He had bleach blond hair, with a purpling bruise on the side of his head. Blood was splattered over the sleeves of his lab coat, blood that was obviously not his own. He had a butcher knife in his left hand, the blade stained red. "That's my toy you're playing with." The man purred, his voice sickly sweet, but his eyes flashing with anger.

The man moved with catlike speed, managing to catch Artemis by the neck. He dragged her close to him and began to say, 'no one move', but was stopped by a beam of green light smashing into his chest. He screamed and fell to the floor, letting Artemis go. Robin leapt to his feet and punched the man, knocking him out. They all turned around, trying to figure out where the beam had come from.

Danny had propped himself up on his forearms, his face creased from the effort that it took. His hand was smoking green, the palm pointed at where the man had been. He panted, a small grin on his face. "Such…a… freak…" He managed, before collapsing on the floor.

It took them all a moment to recover from that, but eventually, they were once again running down the hallway, this time with Danny in Aqualads arms.

"Why are we running?" Kid flash questioned. "There's no one here."

A group of men rounded the corner behind them, shouting and attempting to pull guns off their belts.

Robin scowled. "You had to say that." He threw a pair of disks behind them, collapsing the hallway and buying them a bit of time.

"Robin, can you please get us out of here?" Artemis pleaded, firing an arrow filled with foam behind them to further hinder the agents.

Robin pulled up a schematic, his sharp eyes scanning over it quickly. "Right!" He yelled, and they all swerved.

This continued for several minutes, more close calls and several curses that the Dark knight would not have approved of, Robin finally managed to get them outside. They all ran out, shocked to see who was waiting for them.

All of their mentors stood with their arms crossed, looking like they had all gotten together and eaten something nasty before arriving. The team looked at each other, all feeling a little betrayed despite the fact that they could really use the help.

"I said we should contact the league." Aqualad said. "So, I did."

Superboy probably would have knocked his lights out, but was forestalled by Batman. The Dark knight stepped forward, his face neutral. In a low voice that broached no argument, he said, "I expect a full explanation at Mt. Justice."

To the team, he may as well have passed a death sentence.


	6. Chapter 9

**Me: I don't want to!**

 **Friend: You have to! You're already here, and you probably won't be able to finish all of them in time.**

 **Me: *Sigh* Fine. *Turns to semi-controlled mob* Okay everyone, here's the deal. I was planning on having a new chapter for every one of my stories-including the ones on hiatus- up by Christmas. Obviously, that didn't happen. So I decided that I would try to get it done before Christmas break is over, but now that's seeming a bit out of reach. So here's what I'm gonna do. Now that you guys know I'm lifting the hiatus, I will update each story as I finish it's chapter. *Looks at friend* How was that?**

 **Friend: Good. But you forgot one thing. *Points in a not subtle way at my PM's***

 **Me: *Blushes* Oh, right. Regarding my update schedule, the reason there are such long gaps between the chapters published is because I'm writing all my stories as I go. Unlike the actually smart people on this website, I usually upload the first chapter of a story without any plan on where it's going or what will happen. Yeah, I'm a little silly that way.**

 **Friend: If by silly you mean you're a total idiot, I agree.**

 **Me: Hey, don't be mean! Don't forget who saved you from that almost fatal arrow wound!**

 **Friend: It's your fault I was shot in the first place!**

 **Me: Besides the point! What I mean is I don't have a release schedule for chapters because the chapters aren't written yet. This is also the reason I usually end on awful cliffhangers.**

 **Friend: You also do it to torture your audience.**

 **Me: SILENCE! *Awkward cough* Hopefully that answers all your questions. Enjoy the chapter! *Teleports with friend to brand new fallout shelter I received for Christmas* Merry Christmas! Cake for all!**

Wally sat with his head in his hands, his heart lower than a stone. That was by far the worst scolding that they had ever received from Batman. Usually he could get over a scolding pretty fast. Heck, he made it his mission to be as lighthearted as possible. But the one he had just gone through? It was going to take a lot of bad puns and junk food to make him feel okay again.

The door swung open, and Wally quickly changed his stance to one of unworried laziness. Whoever was coming through that door, there was no need for them to see him down. He was, after all, the shining star of positivity in this group. At least, that's what he liked to think.

It was M'gann. Wally grinned to himself. She always seemed to be there when he needed someone to talk to. "Well hey beautiful. How's life treating you?"

M'gann jumped, turning to look at Wally. "Oh, Wally! I- I didn't see you there!" She bit her lip.

"No problem babe." Flash said cheerily. "How's it going?"

M'gann sighed. "I'm worried about the boy we rescued. What if the league hadn't been there when we came out?"

"We wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble." Superboy had come in as well, still a bit miffed that Aqualad had been the cause of such a tongue lashing.

"He'll simmer down." Flash said carelessly.

"As long as we don't make the same mistake again, yeah. He will." Flash jumped and turned to see Robin. How had he gotten in without anyone noticing? Flash nearly facepalmed. Right, Batman's prodigy.

M'gann shrugged. "I guess you're right. I guess I'm just worried about Danny."

That put a damper in everyone's mood. They had only just met the kid, but they all felt a deep sense of responsibility for what had happened. That maybe he wouldn't have been in such terrible condition if they had been more responsible.

"You need not worry, friends." Aqualad entered the room, followed closely by Artemis. "Daniel is going to recover."

M'gann perked up. "He's okay?"

Artemis snorted. "If by okay you mean konked out in a hospital bed for the next several hours, sure."

M'gann took that as a good sign, sighing with relief. Kid chose that moment to jump into the conversation, asking, "Can we see him?"

Artemis scowled, clearly unhappy. It was Aqualad who revealed why. "No, Batman said that he needs to wake up on his own."

-Line break-

So, his body had seen fit to knock him out again. Whoopty freakin doo.

Danny opened his eyes, instantly on alert as he realized that something was different. Firstly, he was in a bed. The GIW _never_ let him near anything even vaguely this comfortable. Secondly, it smelled like anesthetic. The day that the GIW gave him anesthetic would be the same day the Box Ghost ate tofu. (It's a great comparison, shut up.) Thirdly- well, there were way too many things to keep narrowing it down to a list.

Danny screwed up his face and sluggishly went through his memory, trying to piece together how he'd come to be on something so deliciously soft. Let's see- blood blossom extract, crazy escape plan, stupid ghosts, Skulker-

It all came rushing back. The other kids- were they okay? Had they all gotten out? With a gasp of recognition, he rolled to the side, falling off the bed in an attempt to get up faster. He scrambled up, only to fall over again as his legs caught in the blanket.

Danny paused and took a deep breath. Okay, this wasn't working. He had to calm down, or he was going to continue making a fool of himself to the person behind the camera. Of course, he couldn't be sure there _was_ a camera, but it was better to just assume.

Danny took several deep breaths. Okay, time to try again. He slowly pulled his legs toward himself, disentangling himself from the sheets. He started to stand, feeling around for something to guide him. His fingers collided with a desk corner, and he pulled back with a pained hiss. With a growl of frustration, he moved even slower than before, gripping the edge of the table and pulling himself to his feet. He makes mumbled a few Esperantion swear words under his breath, cursing the fact that he had to move like a grandma to keep from hurting himself. Seriously, why did things always seem to be in his way now that he couldn't see?

He hesitantly felt around the desk, searching for clues about how he got there. He could probably safely assume that they had gotten away and taken him someplace else, but where? And was he really safe? Could this all just be some elaborate ruse by the GIW to lure him into a false sense of security? They weren't usually that clever, but it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

Danny's hand felt a vase of flowers, a paper, and a syringe. Nothing to give him any insight on the current situation. At another time, he might have been able to read the paper, but that obviously wasn't an option. He needs to find something else, something more informative.

His stomach had other idea's. The second he took a step in another direction, he felt it begin to heave. Danny fell to his knees, shaking as he vomited on the floor. He knew what his body was doing. It was trying to expel all of the chemicals that Z had stuffed inside him. He also knew that he was likely going to be in this position for awhile, considering what Z had done to him. He threw up again, eyes shut tight against the waves of pain coursing through his body. Getting anything blood blossom related out of his system was akin to having red hot needles pumped through his bloodstream, and ghost nip was definitely in that category.

He heard a door open, but he was too busy to look up. He started to throw up again, but there was nothing left in his stomach. He retched violently, eyes pooling with unshed tears.

He felt a hand on his back, and he jerked slightly, his heart thumping. It felt like a gloved hand, and it was strong. Stronger than he was right now, at least. The hand rubbed his back comfortingly, and although he didn't know who it was, he was grateful that they were there. He coughed, bile making his mouth burn. He shivered and continued to cough, his body wracked with increasing pain as his body tried to rid itself of the toxins inside it. There were two hands now, one on each of his shoulders. They pulled him slightly more upright, making the coughing just a little less painful. Whoever this person was obviously wasn't there to hurt him. If they were, they'd probably be laughing and pushing him to the ground, and then kicking him while he was down.

He wasn't sure how long it was before he stopped dry heaving, but it felt like forever. He panted, almost wishing he'd pass out again so he could have a break from this pain. He took a shuddering breath, finally managing to croak, "Sorry... if I... got any bodily fluids on you clothes."

"Don't worry about it." The voice was deep and husky, the kind of voice you hear from someone in authority. Ordinarily, Danny might have been wary of that kind of voice. But considering that he hadn't taken advantage of Danny when he was at his weakest, he figured it was okay to trust for now. "Who... who are you?"

"My real name is for me to know. You can call me Batman."

If he wasn't so weak, Danny probably would have collapsed on the floor laughing. As it was, he could only manage a few weak chuckles. "Batman? You can't be serious."

Instead of answering, Danny was lifted up off of the floor. He wanted to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to care. If something bad was going to happen, so be it. It probably wasn't half as bad as what the GIW would do when they found him.

He was set on the edge of the bed, and he almost fell backward before he jerked upright again. Now wasn't the time for premature napping. He could hear the man,"Batman", moving around the room. He tried to track which way he was going, but his increasing wooziness made that impossible. He vaguely heard a tap running, but even that was hard through the fog in his head.

The footsteps approached him, and a hand touched his knee. Despite himself, Danny flinched slightly. The man noticed and said in a reassuring voice, "I've got some water for you. Can you hold it by yourself?"

Danny bit his lip. "I... I don't know..." That was the honest truth. He had no idea if he could hold anything himself.

"Why don't you try?" The man said encouragingly, taking one of Danny's hands and placing it on a cool glass surface, presumably a cup. After a moment of hesitation, Danny brought up his other hand. He took it from the man, trying to keep his hands from shaking as he raised it to his lips. It was very hard to do this, as his body was extremely weak from it's recent purge. As he almost spilled it over his nose, he felt it steady slightly as the man grabbed the edge. The man grabbed it just hard enough to steady it, but not hard enough to make it easy for him. Danny was glad. He didn't like it when something was given for free. You never got anything for free in this world.

After several swallows, he pulled the glass away from his face and felt for the desk. Eventually finding it, he set it down. He laced his fingers together on his lap. "So... you want me to think you're Batman, huh?"

"I am Batman."

Danny rolled his eyes, despite the action being covered by his bandages. "Right. And I'm a freakin shark." He coughed slightly, managing to get it under control before his body tried to eject his lungs though his throat.

There was a moment of silence, then Danny felt his hands being grabbed again. The man lifted them upward, and Danny felt a chiseled face. There was a firm jawline and sharp eyes, and as Danny felt upward, he found a pair of sharp ears jutting upward. He cocked his head to one side. "You've got the costume right."

"I would think so. I made the original."

Danny licked his lips. "Hmm..." He said. "Assuming that you are Batman, why are you here?"

There was a moment of silence. "Do you know who saved you?"

Danny considered for a moment. It was probably safe to disclose this bit of information. "Not really."

Danny heard cloth scraping, and he assumed the man was nodding. "I thought as much. I assume you've heard of the Justice League?"

Danny gave a quiet laugh. "Who hasn't? They're practically gods. At least..." He bowed his head a little, and quietly said, "At least, that's how it was... back home." Tears came to his eyes, and he took in several breaths through his nose. Don't cry, not now. Breath, breath, better.

"Then you would also know of our protégés?"

Danny nodded, still trying to cover up the pain he had unintentionally caused himself.

"Several months ago, our protégés created a covert team. A team to operate on the sly, or a sort of contingency plan should the Justice League fail against a threat. You were saved by this team."

"Okay..." Danny swallowed thickly, before taking a deep breath and folding his arms. "I guess you want me to answer some questions."

"It would be helpful."

"Hmmm." Danny said. There wasn't really much else he could think to say.

"We're trying to form a case to shut the GIW down. Your input could be the difference between losing and winning."

Danny snorted in spite of himself. "My word won't help you much. Everything they did to me was legal under the law."

"Not anymore."

Danny frowned. "What do you mean? Their government. They can do pretty much whatever they want."

"They were expelled from the government nearly three months ago. At the moment, they're being privately funded by Vladimir Masters."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Vlad." He growled, fists clenching by his sides. He coughed again, the growl having disturbed the delicate treaty his body has made with itself. It eventually subsided, leaving him slightly out of breath.

"I take it that you know him." The man said, deadpan as ever.

Danny scowled. "You could say that."

"Yes, there's quite a bit about him in your file."

Danny stiffened. "My what?" He heard the flipping of pages, then the man spoke. "The file the GIW wrote for you. I imagine it's highly inaccurate."

Danny remained tensed, not sure what to think of the fact that this man probably knew a lot about him. He tried to stay calm, sarcastically replying, "Depends. I'd say there's plenty of accurate information about what my organs look like outside my body."

There was a moment of silence, and Danny got the distinct impression that the man had an eyebrow raised. "I see." Came the reply. "Then I suppose the details on your alter ego are also true?"

Danny's heart froze, and his head jerked upward. Then he deflated, one hand running through his hair. "I suppose it was a bit obvious, huh?" He sighed. Using his first name in both his identities seemed very stupid in hindsight. Should have done something cool, like Spirit or Specter or something. But no, he decided it would be a great idea to shout his first name to every reporter in town. He was lucky almost everyone in town was an idiot.

"It was only a theory. Now I know for sure."

Danny face palmed.

The man chuckled. "Although, I still have questions about how a half ghost could exist."

Danny could feel frustration growing inside him. "And what questions are those?" He grumbled.

"How did it happen?"

Danny frowned. He thought that this man was a little to comfortable in his current position. "Why should I tell you?" He said suspiciously, suddenly conscious of how exposed he was to an attack.

To his surprise, the man conceded the point. "I suppose you don't have a reason. I do expect an explanation for your crimes as Phantom."

"That wasn't me!" Danny snapped before he could stop himself. He bit his lip and amended the statement. "Well, it kind of was. Well, actually no-" He groaned and massages his temples, trying to remember what it was like to properly interact with someone. "It's complicated."

"I've got time."

Danny gave a sour laugh. "Well, I guess I have time too." He sarcastically waved his arm. "Ask away, Mr. Batman."

Danny heard another page flip, then the man began. "There was a recorded incident of you kidnapping the mayor-"

"Uuuugh!" Danny face palmed, fairly certain that if there had been a wall around, he would have slammed his head against it. "Okay, here's a question. If you are Batman, supposedly the greatest detective on the planet, then how did you not notice that the mayor's eyes were glowing red throughout the entire exchange!?"

"I did notice, actually. I was about to ask you why that was."

Danny blinked beneath the bandages. "Oh." He said, having the grace to look embarrassed.

There was an awkward moment of silence, then the man said, "You have an explanation?"

Danny hesitated, not sure what to reveal. Then he sighed. If this man knew that he was half ghost, it was safe to assume that he knew a good amount about ghosts in general. "He was overshadowed."

"Overshadowed?"

"Possessed." Danny elaborated. "A ghost named Walker was mad at me for causing his prison to riot, so he decided to 'make my own world my prison'." He felt his heart prick at the memory. "He overshadowed the mare and everyone else, making me a target. Then he possessed the mayor and made it look like I kidnapped him." His throat began to close at the memory, and despite his best efforts, his voice quivered slightly. "With the help of m-my friends, I stopped him." He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to drive thoughts of them from his mind. _They're gone, nothing can change that!_ He screamed inwardly. _Stop wishing for something that can't happen!_

"So you had many enemies?" The man said, and Danny nodded, still having trouble with his emotions and not trusting himself to speak. "I assume something similar happened with your subsequent robbing of the community."

Danny took a shaky breath. "Kind of." He muttered. He paused, knowing that the man was waiting for an answer but unsure of how to dance around the subject of his family. Finally he said, "There was a ringmaster in a traveling circus. Everyone thought he was just this creepy guy, but he turned out to be this psychotic dude with a ghost hypnotizing staff. He hypnotized me, and made me do all his dirty work. And then..." He trailed off, biting his lip. "My friends broke his control..." He stopped, unable to continue without betraying his feelings.

A small pause. "I see." The man seemed to ponder for a moment. "You seem to enjoy your hero work."

Danny inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Yeah, I did enjoy it." He turned his head away, seeming to stare off into space. "Back when I... actually did it."

"Well, would you like to do it again?"

Danny, still lost in memory lane, sighed in a resigned way and said, "I would if I could, but my powers are virtually useless without sight."

"I think I may be able to help with that."

 **Me: Whew, that was hard!**

 **Friend: You skipped one of the most interesting parts!**

 **Me: What? Batman chewing out the team? We've seen it in the actual show, and I couldn't do it justice without copying. Besides, don't you love time skips?**

 **Friend: Not really.**

 **Me: What's that? It's hard to hear you over the sound of only semisatisfied readers!**

 **Friend: Why semi satisfied?**

 **Me: They'll want more from me immediately. It's how things work.**

 **Friend: Well, you better update the other story, then.**

 **Me: That I shall! Guard the fortress while I'm gone!**

 **Friend: *Purposefully pushes vase off desk* Sure thing.**

 **Me: *Sigh* You're never going to forgive me for that arrow thing, are you?**

 **Friend: Nope.**

 **Me: *Sighs again* Well, see you guys later. Happy _NEW_ year!**

 **Friend: Obvious hint on which story will be updated next is obvious.**

 **Me: Shut up.**


	7. Chapter 10

**Me: HA! I did it! *lifts up bloody arms* Check out all my bite marks!**

 **Friend: Those tracking dragons sure did a number on you.**

 **Me: I'm gonna have the coolest scars!**

 **Friend: If you don't bleed to death first.**

 **Me: Psh, I'll be fine. Oh, did someone have a question for me.**

 **Friend: Yeah. They wanted to know if I was real.**

 **Me:...**

 **Friend: Well?**

 **Me: I don't know! Reality and fantasy aren't different anymore! *sobs***

 **Friend: *halfhearted back pat***

Danny turned his eyes toward the man. He raised an unseen eyebrow, skeptical. "What part of 'my powers are virtually useless without sight' went over your head?"

"The way I understand it, your powers are extremely adaptable. With time and proper training, they will likely adapt and provide you with an alternative to sight, or even heal your eyes altogether."

Danny snorted, slightly bitter. "I doubt that."

"Humor me. Is it possible?"

"I... guess."

"Assuming that happens, you can easily get back to heroics. And even if it doesn't, we could always use extra help around here."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want you to join the team."

-Line break-

Batman left the room, his cape flapping slightly. His face was blank, but his emotions were a hurricane. So that was Danny Phantom, one of the most underrated heroes in the world and an idol for almost every teen hero.

Batman had never met anyone so broken.

He hid it well, Batman had to give him that. But there were still cracks in that facade, and Batman saw them. The way he hesitated slightly at certain words, how his hands clenched and moved during their conversation. But what really gave it away was the voice. Although laced with sarcasm and inflections, there was a certain tone that Batman was familiar with, a certain deadness in the way you spoke that made everything you said sound hopeless. Batman couldn't imagine what they'd done to him to get this kind of result. He didn't have to. There were videos in the file.

-Line break-

Danny opened his eyes with some effort, slightly disoriented. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and his heart tightened.

When Batman had offered to take him in and train him, to become a hero again, Danny had wanted to say yes immediately. But a full year of paranoia and loneliness stopped him. His heart screamed that this was what he wanted, what he _needed,_ but his head held him back. So, they had made an arrangement. Danny, after a few nights good rest and some proper meals, would meet this team Batman spoke of. Then, he would demand Danny's answer. That has been five days ago. Today was the day.

He sat up, the mass of blankets and sheets falling off as he did so. He paused, listening intently. It was very quiet, with only the occasional hum of a heater or creak of wood as the place settled. Frowning, he got out of bed once again. The air was much cooler than earlier, despite the almost constant heater hum. He guessed it was probably the middle of the night. He must have woken up the night before he was to meet them.

He took a step forward, stopping for a moment as his stomach clenched. _No._ He stubbornly told his brain. No more puking. He too several deep breaths, calming himself. After he was sure that he wouldn't throw up, Danny started forward, hands extended slightly in front of him. He eventually felt a wall, and he gratefully leaned against it. It was always nice to have a solid wall near you, even if you weren't blind.

He reached up and felt around his eyes, his fingers brushing the tightly wound bandage. He ran his fingers over it, sighing and glaring upward. "It to had to be me, huh?" He muttered. He sighed again, before standing up straight against the wall. He started to walk sideways against the wall, feeling around for a door of some kind. He felt a wave of relief that he found one, immensely grateful that he had picked the correct wall. He found the handle and turned it, pleasantly surprised that it wasn't locked. He was about to open it when he stopped, putting his ear to the door. Nothing. With a new sense of purpose, he pushed the door open.

A slight breeze blew in, carrying a slight chill. He lifted his face into it, letting it ruffle his hair slightly. How long has it been since he'd been able to do this, to just stand and think? Too long, that was for sure.

He stepped out, keeping one hand on the doorframe. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to wander around, but did he really need a reason? Not anymore he didn't. He let out a raspy breath and continued walking down the hall, fingertips brushing the wall ahead to guide him. The floor changed, the smooth hard surface turning to slightly plush carpet. Almost without thinking, he bent over and felt it with his fingers. Why had it been so long? Why had he gone through so much? His heart clenched, and he knelt down, feeling the carpet strands between his fingers.

The tears came all too easily for him. At first they were slow, burning his eyes as he tried to hold them in. He'd held them in so easily before, but now they spilled from his unseeing eyes in silvery streams. The bandages grew damp as he cried, but he didn't care. His sobs were silent, as they always were. He'd learned how to muffle them, how to hide the pain of loss in the dark of night. But you could only keep it inside so long before it spilled over. Before you broke down and realized that the cast around your heart had grown dark with sadness and grief. Realizing that everything you knew had been torn from you, and that no matter how much you tried to hide it, you still felt empty and cold.

Danny wasn't sure how long he cried. He wasn't sure how long he sat on the carpet, mourning the moments of life that he would never get back. He didn't know how long he wondered what people took for granted. Wondering how people could do so much and not even know it. But when he was done, he felt like his soul had been scraped out for all to see. Even though no one was there.

He got up slowly, feeling for the wall that had led him there. He felt it and gripped it like a lifeline, dragging himself back to reality. Out of the dark loneliness that he feared and dreaded. He felt completely drained. How had the feeling of carpet caused him to break down? Was he that out of touch with reality. He made his way back to the room, gently closing the door behind him. He flopped onto the bed, emotionally exhausted from his unplanned sobfest. He fell asleep after a few minutes, too tired to think about anything.

-Line break-

"Should we wake him up? It's almost noon."

"Batman said to let him wake up on his own."

"Well sure, but he looks kinda... dead."

"'Not moving' and 'Dead' aren't the same thing, Wally. Not everyone fights sharks in their sleep."

Danny heard these voices from afar, vaguely recognizing some of them. The group he'd escaped with? "Not...dead...yet..." He groaned, lifting up one arm for emphasis.

"Hey, he lives!" A boys voice happily exclaimed. "Welcome back, dude!"

Danny slowly say up, groaning as his back cracked several times. "Wow- I didn't move at all." He said, hoping to break the ice with an unfunny jibe at himself.

"Yeah. Wally here kept insisting you were dead."

Danny heard an annoyed huff. "Thanks for keeping my identity a secret, Artemis." A young man's voice grumbled.

"Oh please. You told M'gann literally two seconds after you met her."

"You weren't there, how would you know?"

Danny smirked. _I ship it._ He heard someone approach, but only just barely. The person walked like a cat, almost completely silent. He turned and cocked his head in their direction. "Who's the cat?" He asked quietly, forcing steadiness into his voice, despite nervousness invading his mind.

"Technically a bird." Came the response. "Names Robin." Danny stuck out his hand, missing the boys outstretched hand the first time but quickly correcting. The hand was smaller than he expected, but surprisingly strong, with thin, agile fingers. "Robin, huh? Batman's protege?"

There was a slight hint of pride in Robin's voice as he answered. "Yep. Heard of me?"

Danny smiled slightly. "Oh, definitely. You've been described as a 'human streetlight'." He chuckled, wincing at how weak it sounded. Danny could almost feel the boy's frown. "I'm Danny. But I guess Batman told you already?"

"We have been briefed on your circumstance and history, yes." Danny again turned his head. Man, his neck was getting a workout today. The voice was smooth and calm, but slightly stilted. Danny got the feeling that English was not this guys first language. "I am Aqualad."

Danny stuck his hand out again, managing to find his hand on the first try this time. This handshake was firm and strong, the kind of handshake that was to be expected from a leader. "Aqualad. Nice." He pulled back, feeling uncomfortable. "Um, how many of there are you?"

Aqualad responded, his voice not changing tone. "There's Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis, Miss Martian, and Superboy. And myself, naturally."

"Okay..." Danny said, feeling nervous about his next words. "Who's who?" He rubbed his hands together, trying to keep his nerves steady. Why was he getting so riled up? They weren't going to attack him.

He heard a noticeable shift in the group, as if they all collectively looked at each other. Finally a young girls voice responded. "Well, I'm Miss Martian!" The voice was coming from slightly above his head, and Danny felt a tiny pang of jealousy as he realized that she was flying. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice-" Danny coughed slightly to clear his throat. "Nice to meet you to." Danny said, still caught up in her location. "Are you flying?"

The girl-Miss Martian, had to remember that- let out a nervous giggle. "Well, yeah. I kind of prefer flying over walking. I can come down if you want."

Danny smiled. "No, it's fine. Just... wondering."

There was a moment of awkward silence, then another girl broke the silence. "Well, I'm Artemis. Teams archer and-"

"And the most annoying nag in the group." The unnamed boy interrupted.

"And this would be Wally, the speedster with a mouth faster than his brain." Robin said, sounding amused.

"Hey! I'll have you know, my brain is much faster than my mouth!" The boy, now Kid Flash, retorted. "And it's faster than yours, I'll bet!"

" _Anyway._ " Artemis said in a warning tone. "I'm Artemis, and the one who hasn't said anything is-"

"The ever-grumpy Superboy!"

"Wally, I swear, you interrupt me one more time and I will smack that arrogant little smirk clean off!"

Danny smiled slightly. He enjoyed playful banter, maybe a little too much. "Superboy, huh?"

"That's right." Despite himself, Danny's eyebrows shot up. The voice was deep and surly, reminding him a little of Dash. If Dash had been all the way through puberty and jacked up on steroids. "I'm not Superman's son."

"Good to know." Danny said, slightly on edge. This was a lot of new people...

"So-" It was Kid Flash again. The kid seemed to have quite the mouth, as Robin had said. "You joining the team, or what?"

Danny heard the distinct sound of a slap. "OW! Artemis, what the heck!?"

"Can it, Kid. We're trying NOT to pressure him, remember?"

"I know. I'm just saying, we get ice cream whenever we ask-" SMACK. "OW! Okay, that was a lie! Happy Artemis!?"

Danny laughed a little at their antics. "Well... I don't know yet. I'm still kind of adjusting." He crossed his legs and put his elbows on his knees, trying to disguise the fact that he was tight as a spring. "Do you think I could?"

-Line break-

Robin decided it was best if he jumped in. "Based on what Batman has told us, I think so. Even if it's not out in the field, we could always use help around Mt. Justice." Robin picked his words carefully. He was an expert on body language, and he could easily see how nervous Danny was.

Danny cocked his head at them. "Mt. Justice?"

Kid Flash, despite Artemis's repeated glares, decided to jump in again. "It's where we are now. Basically our headquarters. We have a fully stocked kitchen-Miss M is a great cook- a movie room, training equipment out the wazoo-" Artemis smacked him again. Wally glared at her. "I'm just giving him the rundown, jeez!"

Artemis glared. "Stop pressuring him!"

Robin saw Danny's slight smile grow, and he smiled as well. "Smack him again, Artemis. He needs to learn not to self advertise."

Artemis grinned evilly and lifted her hand. KF ducked and zipped to the other side of the bed. "I'm done being the dancing monkey! Find someone else to injure!"

Danny, looking slightly more comfortable, turned toward KF. "I'm sure there's a joke I could make, but I can't think of one right now."

Kid grinned, feeling relatively safe on the other side of the bed. "I like this kid- he's got his priorities straight."

Danny raised an eyebrow playfully, making the black caterpillar just visible above his bandages. "Kid? I'm fairly certain I'm older that you." Danny then started to yawn, but was able to successfully cut it off. Robin frowned, checking his watch.

"I call everyone Kid. Except for Supey. And Artemis. And Miss M. And Bats."

"KF, you never call anyone kid." Robin pointed out. He frowned, trying to think of a way to get the others out. Even though he was doing better, Danny still needed more rest.

"Besides the point. The point is I like you, Dan man. We should totally chill sometime." He made a casual gesture, despite being fully aware of Danny's blindness. "How about my place?"

"Team, report for mission." The voice came from the speaker above, making almost everyone jump. KF sighed. "The one time I don't want a mission." He playfully punched Danny's arm, not noticing the flinch that he caused. "See ya around, Dan man." He zipped out, followed closely by the others. M'gann turned around and smiled. "Feel better, okay?" Then she was gone too.

Robin waited until all the others had left, then turned toward Danny. "Look, I know this all must seem crazy to you. If I were you, I probably wouldn't trust us either." He took a deep breath, trying to phrase his words carefully. "But we really want to help. I know what it's like to lose your entire world. And I want to help. Please let me." He looked at Danny's passive face, sensing the uncertainty boiling beneath. "Just think about it, okay?" He walked away, closing the door gently behind him.

-Line break-

Danny heard Robin go, but he didn't bother turning his head to watch. He felt like if he moved at all, he might puke. That was more social interaction than he'd had in almost a year, and he if he was honest with himself, he was astounded at how well he'd taken it. Especially considering the complete breakdown he'd had the night before. Of course, that was probably a dream. It was all fuzzy in his mind.

He flopped back on his bed, rubbing his face with one hand. He had so many questions, so many things to think about. Before long, Batman would be back, demanding an answer. Well, probably not demanding, the man wasn't a jerk. But it still made Danny nervous to think about.

But why? These people had saved him. They had fed him, put a roof over his head, tried to be his friend. Why was he so afraid?

 _Because you don't want to lose them like everyone else._

Danny sighed, knowing that was right. How could he be close to anyone after what had happened? Everyone he'd ever cared about was dead or wanted nothing to do with him. He rolled onto his side, pulling his legs close to him. How could he ever get over this fear? It was a completely bogus fear, but he couldn't shake the feeling of self hatred that he felt.

The door opened, but Danny didn't bother turning. He had come to recognize the cat like walk of Batman, the one that Robin seemed to emulate. Batman stopped at the edge of his bed, silent for the moment. Finally, he said, "Batman? Do you ever feel..." He stopped, embarrassed.

"Go on." Came the quiet prompt.

Danny sighed. "Do you ever feel... Like all you do is put people in danger?"

The silence was deafening to Danny as he waited. He could feel the bed creaking beneath him, the only thing reminding him of the passage of time. Then, Batman said. "Nearly every day."

"How do you deal with it?"

Again, there was a moment of silence. Finally, he spoke. "Daniel, I have spent the better part off my life doing hero work, and I've encountered praise and hostility in equal measures. And I'm not going to pretend it was easy." A hand fell onto Danny's shoulder. "But I can say this. Knowing that you've helped even one person, even in a small way, makes it worth it."

"But there's no one like that!" Danny stood up and began pacing the room. "I can't think of a single person I've helped who wasn't harmed by me later, directly or indirectly!" He abruptly tripped over something and started to fall, but was caught by Batman before he could faceplant. Batman pulled him upright and place both hands on his shoulders. "Really? No one has benefited from your efforts?"

Danny sucked a breath in through his teeth, biting his tongue. He felt slightly embarrassed by his outburst, but try as he might, he couldn't shake this feeling. "No one I can name."

"Do names really matter?"

"Yes!" Danny blurted. "How can it matter if I don't even know them!?"

"You know it matters. That's why you continue with heroics."

Danny's mind slowed slightly, seeing through the fog of anger and sadness. He could see them now, all in his mind. The faces of those he had saved, some of which he'd never seen again. An old woman he'd hid from a ghost, the boy he'd shoved away from skulkers missiles, a girl who's self esteem had been restored after he defeated spectra, a little boy on Christmas Day. He sighed and he leaned forward, resting his head on Batman's chest. "Am I being... ungrateful?"

Strong arms went around him, and Danny felt tears prick his eyes. He couldn't cry, not now. How could he even have any tears left?

"Danny. It's okay to cry sometimes."

-Line break-

Batman felt Danny sag slightly at those words, the shock of black hair blending into the black of his suit. He was shaking slightly, and Batman he's him, knowing that saying anything more would be a mistake. He could remember doing this for Dick, when he would have nightmares about his parents death. He would simply sit and hold him, being the unmoving wall that Dick could lean on. He sensed now that Danny needed the same. He needed someone to lean on, to be there for him. And Bruce stepped up to the challenge readily.

As he held Danny, he could almost feel how taught the teen was. Ready to run or attack at any moment, like a deer constantly in the headlights. Danny shuddered slightly, and Bruce rubbed his back, supporting him with his arms. He knew he couldn't replace Danny's father, just as he couldn't replace Dick's. But he was sure going to try.

Danny lifted his head off, and Bruce saw that his bandages were damp. But there was a new look in his face, one of steely determination. Danny wiped his face with the back of his hand, then looked up at him. "I want to join."

Batman smiled. "I hoped you'd say that."

-Line break-

Robin was standing, face stoic as ever. Kid Flash rolled his eyes. "Will you relax, Rob? Imitating a statue isn't going to make you more appealing."

Robin didn't respond, his face a mask. In reality, he was thrashed. In the five days they'd been waiting to meet Danny, he'd eaten little, slept less, and basically driven himself crazy trying to figure out what to do. During the meeting he'd felt fine, but as soon as they left the room, the anxiety returned.

"Rob? Hey! HEY ROB!"

Robin turned his head toward KF, keeping the movement slow and controlled. His stress was his burden, and the team was only as good as the weakest link. No need to show how he felt. "What were you saying?"

Kid Flash gave him a truly concerned look. "I was saying that you should take a nap. You seriously need one."

Robin shook his head. "I'm fine."

Artemis, who had been sitting reading a magazine until that point, let out a snort. Aqualad spoke. "Robin, we don't want to say you look bad, but-"

"You look like death warmed up." Superboy called from the couch.

Kid Flash made a 'see?' gesture. "Come on Rob. Even Supey thinks you need rest."

Robin opened his mouth, planning on arguing that Superboys opinion was about as consistent as Utah's weather patterns, but at that moment, the side door opened and Batman walked in. Kid Flash immediately ran up to him. "Bats, could you please tell your bird to go to bed? He's driving us all crazy with his warbling."

Batman raised an eyebrow. "You _all_ should be sleeping." He said in a slightly fatherly tone.

"We... we wanted to know..." Miss Martian stopped as Batman raised a hand. Batman smiled slightly. "I think he'll want to tell you himself."

Danny stepped out from behind Batman. He was wearing jeans with black black sneakers, and a red hoodie that was slightly too big for him. His eyes were uncovered, showing their clouded irises. He scuffed his foot on the floor, feeling much more nervous now that he was in front of everyone, actually standing and required to interact. "...Hi."

Flash was the first to speak, unsurprisingly. "Nice sneakers, bro."

"Thanks." Danny said quietly. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. He'd been told it was red. "So... What's it take to join your club?"

 **Me: Bleh, I hate writing batman!**

 **Friend: You're still bleeding you know.**

 **Me: I don't have time for bandages! I must complete my quest!**

 **Friend: Quest?**

 **Me: Don't interrupt! *sighs* My quest is to get reviews on how my writing is doing.**

 **Friend: Hmm.**

 **Me: Stop mocking me!**


	8. Chapter 11

**Ah, yes, hello my dear readers! *cue fancy cape flip* Yes, I am alive, thank you for your concern. *well aware no concern was expressed* I apologize for my long absence! Hopefully this chapter is long enough to temporarily quench your insatiable appetites. I'm still disappointed in my ability to completely botch Batman's character. Hopefully you're willing to overlook that in favor of my slightly morbid humor. Hardy har, I'm so funny. Please enjoy. *whispers quietly* Also, I have a tumblr now- savidare. Go and bug me there, if you see fit.**

He'd thought it was over. Over and done with. Thought he'd finally found peace. But no- he should have known better.

Danny backed away, his back hitting the wall far too soon. His heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and he pressed back as far as he could go, desperate to get away from the madman in front of him. A shrill laugh echoed through the hallway, and his heart sank as he saw him, a sickly thin figure silhouetted by the flashing red alarm. He knew who it was.

"Leaving so soon?" Z's voice sent shivers down his spine. He sent a weak glare at the figure, which was met with a scornful laugh. "Still trying to be intimidating, hmm? You need a lesson, don't you?"

There is an instinct every human has, known as the flight, fight, or freeze instinct. Up until that moment, Danny had been in the 'freeze' stage. But now, his legs moved my their own volition, attempting to carry him away. He almost made it, but Z was faster than he looked. A hand closed around his arm, yanking him off balance and causing him to crash to the floor. It was a moment of weakness that cost him dearly.

Z was on him now, one foot placed firmly on his chest. His face twisted in a sickening grin, his straight white teeth standing out like a wolfs. His voice took on a slightly melodic tone as he said, "Do you know what comes next, little ghost? I think you do."

Despite his fear, Danny managed a confused, "What?"

Z smirked. "You've had this dream before." As Z spoke, his form shifted and changed, lengthening and thinning out. Fangs slid from his gums, and his hands became curved claws, slicing through his shirt and into his skin. Z's voice was a roar as he rumbled, "And you're never waking up!" The no longer human head struck with the speed of a viper, the two main fangs slamming directly into his eyes.

-Line break-

Danny sat up, gasping for air. He flailed in darkness, struggling to find something to anchor himself in reality. Abruptly, his hand cracked against the wall. Danny gasped and held his hand, the pain cutting through the fog of panic he'd been in. As it faded to a dull ache, Danny took deep calming breaths. Well, their intent was to calm, but it really only made him feel like he was drowning himself in air. This was one of the worst parts of being blind. If you had your sight after a nightmare, you could at least look around and make sure you were in reality again. And his nightmares weren't very consistent. Sometimes, they were as clear as his old sight, which made him want to cry when he woke. That was almost worse than when they were black, like his current view of politics.

He heard the door open, and he turned toward it. Recognizing the footstep pattern, he said,"Hi Bird brain." He forced a cheeriness into his voice, wincing at how fake it sounded. He snapped his fingers once, getting an idea of how close Dick was.

"How do you do that?" Came the mock annoyed reply. Apparently, Dick had decided to roll with his act. M He was grateful. "I know you can't see me."

Danny rolled his eyes, managing a grin. "I've been living here for almost a month. Give me some credit, feather head."

There was a small laugh. Despite this, Danny frowned. Usually, Dick was more animated than this, or at least more snarky. He cocked his head, trying to use his blank eyes to his advantage. "Are you okay?"

A silence. Then he said,"I... had a nightmare." Dick had, somehow, managed to get next to the bed.

Danny frowned more deeply. "And you came to me for comfort?" He squirmed. Dick didn't strike him as the kind of person to do that. If he had gone to anyone, it would have been Bruce, and even that was with a bit of hesitation. "I'm not sure how to..." He let the sentence hang, hoping the other boy would provide an explanation.

"No, I-I just wanted to check on you."

"Oh." Danny sobered a little. He knew his tendency to have night terrors had cost everyone in the household sleep, and he felt a stab of guilt. "Was...was I screaming?"

"Oh, no. Why would you be screaming?"

"...Nightmare."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence. Then, in a tone that had become familiar to Danny, Robin said, "I bet mine was worse."

Danny felt a ghost of a smile touch his face. This has become almost a routine for them, comparing nightmares and deciding who had a harder time. Somehow, arguing about who's life was worse made both their lives seem better. "Yeah right." Danny snorted. "Do you have a possessive stalker with knives?"

"No, but I have to watch someone I care about be killed by a possessive stalker with knives. I'd say that's pretty horrific."

Danny had an uncomfortable feeling he knew who had been killed, but he didn't comment on that. It was one of the unspoken rules they had come up with for this game. "Horrific, sure. But not nearly as traumatizing."

"True enough." Danny waited for Dick to say more, but he seemed less talkative than usual. Danny didn't really mind. He didn't feel like talking about his dream. Then again, he never felt like talking about his dreams. Bruce and Dick were the only ones he ever shared with. He lay back on the bed, sighing loudly. A moment later, he felt Dick flop beside him.

The two were silent for several minutes, with only the faint creak's of the house to break the silence. Finally, very quietly, Robin said, "It was about you." When Danny sent an inquiring look in his direction, he added, "My dream."

"Oh." Danny looked away. "I died?"

"Yeah. I had to watch, and I couldn't do anything."

Danny laughed shortly, his voice catching a bit as he tried to shrug it off. In truth, he was equal parts touched and disturbed. "Well, that's nothing new, right? If I got a nickel for every time you dreamed that-"

"You'd have exactly twenty five cents." Robin said, rather dryly. Danny frowned. "Only twenty five? I thought it was at least fifty. You holding out on me?" He laughed, but it was strained. Eventually, he fell silent.

After a moment of awkward silence, Dick said, "I don't think I'm going to sleep for awhile. Want to go grab some cookies or something?"

Danny laughed again, a bit more genuinely. "Sure." He stood up, reaching out and touching the desk corner to keep from accidentally running into it. He started walking, hearing Dick come up beside him. The two walked down the hallway without incident, which Danny considered a victory worth celebrating. The plush carpet of the Wayne mansion had a tendency to rumple, creating perfect tripping opportunities for him. As he had the thought, his surrogate brother let out a cry, and went the way of the Roman Empire. Danny turned, wincing at the giant thud that echoed through the hall. "That sounded painful." He commented, putting out a hand in the general direction of the fall.

Dicks hand gripped his, and Danny leaned back, helping pull him to his feet. As usual, the strength in the small hand was a bit surprising. "Ugh, I hate this carpet." Dick said, in a tone that couldn't be managed without scowling. "We should get hardwood."

"That'd make Alfred happy." Danny said with a smirk. "Less trouble to clean, right? Besides, do you really want a bunch of flooring people rooting around your house?" After a moments silence, he added, "I can't hear you shrug, bird brain."

"Oh! Right. I forgot."

"Forgot?" Danny raised a skeptical eyebrow. "How do you forget someone is blind?"

"Same way you forget they're dead, I guess..."

That shut up they're banter. They continued to the kitchen without another word, Danny seating himself by the counter and Dick rooting through the fridge. "Milk?" He asked flatly, seeming to struggle with steadiness. Danny nodded absently, his thoughts wandering.

A glass was slid into his hand, and the two drank in silence. Danny wondered if when he was older, he'd do this with beer. He decided probably not. The idea of alcohol had never appealed to him, and his parents would never have approved. He accidentally bit his tongue a little at that thought.

"I'm sorry." Dick finally said. "I'm being really negative."

Danny shrugged. "Don't worry about it." He smiled sadly, swiveling his cup so the milk swirled around. "We've all been having a rough time."

"I shouldn't be." Dick continued. He didn't seem to have heard. "You're probably having a much harder time than me."

Danny jerked his head up. "Ha!" He said, taking the opportunity for lightheartedness in stride and jabbing a finger in Dicks direction. "You admit it! My challenges trump yours!" Danny stood, opening his arms as if addressing a large audience. "You heard it here first folks- Danny Fenton has out-survived Dick Grayson!"

"I did not say that!" Dick snorted, but Danny could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"Denial, folks! It's gettin serious now!" Danny struggled through keep a straight face, but gave up, dissolving into laughter as Dick started cracking up. He sat down as he laughed, thankful he hadn't been holding his milk during that speech. After he had sufficiently calmed, he managed to say, "But seriously, don't worry about it. Braille isn't as hard as people make it seem."

The past few months, Danny hadn't been idle. Although he still had time to himself, his other time was filled with studying. He had to learn a brand new language, as well as catch up on everything he's missed in his year trapped with the GIW. It was a lot of work, but Danny found himself enjoying it, especially when Dick decided to implement his own teaching methods. It was actually nice to work without having ghosts constantly interrupting you. He guessed they'd decided to take a break from earth after what had happened. It's what he would have done in their position.

"Yeah, about that." Danny perked up, looking at Dick curiously. "You said you want to attend public school."

"Well, yeah." Danny said. "Just cause I'm blind doesn't mean I can't try to have a normal life."

"Right. Well, me and Bruce have been thinking-"

"Sounds dangerous."

Dick ignored him and continued. "We were thinking of getting you a seeing eye dog."

Danny almost dropped his glass. As it was, he still managed to splash a good deal onto his front. "A dog!? Dude, have you seen how animals react to me!?" It wasn't that Danny was super opposed to the idea. He loved animals, and had often begged for a puppy when he was younger. It was just that animals didn't usually like people that reeked of death.

There was a brief scuffle, the a tearing as Dick retrieved some paper towels. "Well, you've told us, yeah." He handed Danny the paper towels. "But you also said your powers have become much less powerful."

"I- yeah." Danny spluttered. He made a face as he tried to mop up the milk he'd spilled on himself. "They poked and prodded me for a year. My powers paid the price. They're barely even-" He looked up in Dicks direction. "Are you saying my dead part won't bother them anymore?"

Despite the fact that his environment was now stable, his powers weren't increasing. Quite the opposite, in fact. They had faded drastically, and Danny sometimes wondered if they would disappear completely. It made him less optimistic about having an 'alternate sight', as Batman had predicted. It was part of the reason he wanted to go to a public school instead of the private school Dick attended. It made him feel more like things could return to normal. Well, his version of normal.

"That's the idea, yeah." Dicks hand moved his to the side, guiding it to where the milk was worst. "In the event that you don't gain some alternate sight form, we want to be prepared."

"...I don't know." Danny frowned. He set the towels down, nervously scratching the back of his neck. Some habits never changed, apparently. "What if we don't find one that fits? And it's gonna take awhile to learn a dogs habits." There was, of course, another reason for Danny's hesitation. This idea had occurred to him before. But he already felt like he was mooching off of the Wayne's by living with them, and he knew seeing eye dogs were extremely expensive. It felt- wrong somehow to ask for something that big.

"I think we will." Dick was somehow next to him. He felt a pat on his back. "And training won't be so hard. It'll make the media happy, at any rate."

Danny rolled his eyes. The news, as was excepted, had taken an intense interest once word got out that Bruce Wayne was adopting another son. It had been utter chaos for the first few weeks, but Bruce was skilled at dodging the press. Good thing too. With Danny's luck, they would probably have decided he was a terrorist or something. "I thought you said you were being negative."

Danny could practically hear him smirk. "So, yes?"

Danny sighed, rubbing his forehead. It seemed his fate had already been decided. Typical of his surrogate brother. "Okay. Let's see if we can find a dog that can stand me."

-Line break-

"I think we may have the dog for you."

Danny jerked awake, almost falling as his elbow slipped off the armrest of his chair. "Wha-what?" He said blearily, his heart racing. After they had arrived at the center where he might get a seeing eye dog, he'd been asked a lot of questions. In the form of a lot of paperwork. Since braille wasn't his first language yet, it was pretty difficult to get through it, especially when he'd insisted on doing it all himself. When he finally got done, he was about to drop dead from all the brain numbing legal mumbo jumbo. He'd managed to nod when the woman said she'd be back with news. Then Dick had led him to a chair, and he'd sat, trying not to drool. By the thin layer of crusted gunk on his hand and cheek, he knew he had failed.

"She said she might have found a dog for you." Bruce said helpfully. Danny turned toward him slightly, a yawn forcing its way out before he could stop it. Attempting to be somewhat coherent, he manger to say, "Oh, well, great."

"Follow me please." The woman said, sounding a little amused. Danny got up, panicking slightly when he didn't hear her footsteps. Then she left the carpet of the waiting area, and he followed her clicking high heels with ease. At least, they sounded like high heels. He started to follow, but someone grabbed his arm and pulled him the other way. Dicks voice quietly informed him, "She's wearing sneakers, Danny."

"Oh." Danny blushed a bit, allowing Dick to lead him down the hall. "Um, how long was I out?"

"Not long." Bruce said passively. "Only about fifteen minutes. I almost wish you'd slept longer. You need the rest."

Danny snorted. "So does Dick. We should have both gone to sleep, given the workers an adorable overload, or something."

There was a snort. "Yeah right. We're just brothers. If anything, we'd look dignified and stoic sleeping next to each other in those less than comfortable office chairs." There was a strange coughing noise from the woman leading them. As Danny tried to think of a proper response to that, Dick stopped walking. Danny stopped as well, unsure what to do.

"Alright." The woman spoke again, in a tone obviously meant to make him feel better. "She's one of our youngest, so she might get a little excited. Just be yourself, and we'll see if your a match."

Danny scuffed his foot on the floor. Dick gave him an encouraging pat on the arm, and he smiled gratefully. It was only a dog. It wasn't something he couldn't handle. Despite these thoughts, he still felt a small seed of apprehension in his gut. He shook off these thoughts as he heard the padding of paws on the floor. He got down on one knee, since the dog would probably approach him, and put out his hand.

Within a second, there was a cold nose sniffling around his hand. Apparently, he smelled nice, because now there was a tongue licking his hand. He laughed. "Well, hi there." His breath was abruptly knocked out of him as dog paws pinned him to the floor. Now the nose was sniffing his face. Surprisingly, he didn't mind, even when the dog started licking his face. He laughed again, then spluttered and spat as the dog unintentionally licked him inside the mouth.

"Jem!" The woman's voice came in a commanding tone, followed by several finger snaps. "Jem, down."

There was a somewhat huffy whine, but the pressure on his chest left. He say up, grinning like an idiot. "Wow, you weren't kidding." He shuffled forward on his knees, feeling around until the body of the dog was in his reach. He felt the dog, scratching them behind the ears. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

-Line break-

Bruce observed the interactions of Danny and the dog with growing approval. It was a female German Shepard, large for her age. Just from how she acted when first meeting, Bruce could tell that the animal made strong bonds, which was exactly what Danny needed. Since the boy had come to their home, he had gone into a sort of limbo state where he seemed to want to unwind, but still didn't feel safe. It was like he was trying to ice skate on eggshells. A dog, in addition to helping him with his mobility, might help him relax a little.

He gave Danny a few more minutes to discuss the dog, then sent the trainer a questioning look. She smiled and said to everyone, "It seems we found a match. Do you need a schedule for training?"

Bruce nodded his head. "We'll pick it up on the way out." He looked at Danny, who was looking at them curiously while petting the dog. "Are you alright with that, Danny?"

Danny shrugged, looking slightly surprised Bruce had asked. "Uh, sure." He turned his attention back onto the dog, obviously unsure of what else to say. Bruce didn't push him, simply turned back toward the woman and said, "Are the media here yet?"

The woman bit her lip slightly. "Well, yes. They seem to have... set up shop at the front entrance." She looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that-"

"No need to apologize." Bruce interjected, giving her a small smile. "I should have expected that." He sent Dick and Danny a little smirk, then asked, "Is there a different exit we could use?"

 **And there we have it, one chapter, hopefully to your liking. I'll try to give you more soon, although I find my family actually plans a lot in the summer. Surprising, eh? Anyway- *gets down on knees*- please please please PLEEEAAAASSSEE drop a review on your way out. It would mean so much to the poor writer who is now alone in a desolate bomb shelter because her probably imaginary friend left for good. *nervous sweating* Ahem. Yes, please leave a review.**


	9. I know I'm gonna get heat for this

I know you're all sick of authors notes, but this is important. I was trying to delete all my other authors notes when I accidentally deleted a chapter. And now I realize I must have deleted the word doc I had of it. I am frankly a little panicked, but don't worry, I'll fix this. I can only say it so many times, but I'll say it again; I'm really, really sorry.


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